Stowable vehicle step

Claim 1

AN ADJUSTABLE STEP UNIT COMPRISING A BRACKET ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT, AS TO A VEHICLE, A STEP HAVING SIDE RAILS AND RUNGS, AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BRACKET AND SAID STEP FOR GUIDING SAID STEP BETWEEN A WORKING AND STOWED POSITION, SAID MEANS INCLUDIING STOP MEANS AT EACH SAID POSITION, SAID GUIDE MEANS COMPRISING A U-SHAPED ROD, WITH TINES ATTACHED TO EACH RAIL AND DEFINING A PAIR OF SLOTS, AND SAID STOP MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED RODS, ONE OF SAID PAIR OF RODS ENGAGED IN SAID PAIR OF SLOTS, THE OTHER OF SAID RODS LOCATED ABOVE SAID ONE ROD, EXTERIORLY OF SAID STEP, SAID SIDE RAILS SERVING AS LEVERS ABOVE A FULCRUM FORMED BY SAID ONE ROD AGAINST A RESISTING FORCE FORMED BY SAID OTHER ROD IN EITHER OF SAID POSITIONS, THE ENDS OF SAID RAILS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BEYOND SAID TINES SO AS TO ABUT SAID OTHER ROD WHEN SAID STEP IS IN EITHER OF SAID POSITIONS.